help me respond to my landlord!

[MoominAndMiniMoom]

Long story short, me and OH in a student house with others. I got pregnant after moving in, we found a new place to move to, I was happy to continue paying rent. But there have been issues since we moved in, the windows buzz constantly, kept us up most nights, drove me crazy. We asked them to fix it, he said he'd send his window man round - we asked but heard nothing else. So they've broken their side of the tenancy agreement in not fixing the problem despite being alerted to it.

We're now in the new place and the last installment of rent for student place is due. Should be 900, reduced to 450 considering the circumstances... but we think LL might be trying to pull a fast one with our deposit, so he'll still get his 900 and an extra 50. We've got photo evidence of our room being immaculate and we blasted the kitchen before we left so that was spotless too, so technically we should get our deposit back. How do I word the email in reply to the third email in a week chasing down our rent payment (so they can reply when they want money, but not when we need essential maintenance) asking if we'll get our deposit back if we do pay them the 450? Thanks x

Nope, they don't accompany us. We've had an email asking us to leave keys in an envelope in our room... not sure how we're meant to lock up afterwards though...

Are you saying you have used the window as a justification to break tenancy, and you have decided arbitrarily that you should only have to pay 50% rent for the final month, which you are now late in paying to the landlord because you are concerned about getting your deposit back?

don't understand how windows 'buzz'. But no, they did not breach the tenancy. You did by not paying all the rent.

you should get your deposit back but unless you pay all the rent, the outstanding sum will be deducted from it.

If you haven't paid the full rent due then they will take it out of your deposit. The window doesn't come into it I'm afraid, I would imagine the buzzing was the glass vibrating in response to traffic, that is the only scenario I can picture, not a lot they could do and common in old windows.

If they have reduced the rent to 450 then I can't see them holding your deposit unfairly as they have been more than generous.

Not in response to traffic, we lived on a cul-de-sac. when the wind blows, the windows buzz and howl because there's a crack or a gap in the seal. if we were to fix it we'd be fined for making changes to the the house. the tenancy agreement states that if there are maintenance issues, we are to email them and they will fix it, which they haven't done.

I haven't dedxided to pay half, they've said they only want 450 for this term, which is due. we will pay once we know if well get our deposit back, otherwise he isn't reducing the rent, he's just taking part of it from the deposit. if he's planning on doing that, its fine - but we don't want to be misled about it, we have a newborn and we're trying to budget. we haven't broken the tenancy agreement at all, we just want to know where we stand.

we moved out because one room and a shared kitchen isn't ideal for raising a baby. I have no intention of paying nothing at all, I just resent the idea that they've been generous when they haven't lived up to their promises in the agreement (all it needs is either sealant or, worst case scenario, new Windows, so it can be fixed).

there have been other issues with them not replying to wemails about issues but those haven't been major issues and haven't had a huge impact on us like the windows have (its been freezing in the room, and the wind howls through the gaps when it's bad). its a term of rent, not a month, and we've only just been asked for it, but already this week we've had three emails about it.

Your LL won't get to choose to keep your deposit. Legally they have to hold it in a special deposit scheme. He can tell the deposit scheme if he thinks he should have some of the deposit, you can dispute it and the scheme decide.

If there wasn't an accompanied sign in and sign out from what I've read it puts the LL in a weak position.

Thanks Viva

to everyone else who's replied, I'm not trying to do my LL out of any money, I just want to be able to budget with my DP's wages and our student loan to get us through to September so I don't want to budget in the deposit and then not get it :) and I just need some advice on replying to my landlord to say we are going to pay when we next go into town (need to pay into the joint account to then pay to them, and every trip takes military precision and planning these days!), but do they know when we're likely to get deposit back... unless that wording is OK?

They do have a legal timeframe for paying you the deposit back and I think its 10 days. I would pay the rent you owe ASAP as then he's less likely to be annoyed with you and be looking for reasons to try and withold your deposit.

Your LL I think should have given you details of the scheme they've put your deposit in. If they haven't there's a chance they haven't done it. However its a legal requirement so he could get into trouble if he hasn't done.

that's great, thanks. I'll pay the remaining rent by the end of this week